After a brutal road trip for the Washington Nationals that featured the cherry on top of having the club set the all-time MLB record for the most blown saves in a single season, they returned home on Friday night. An off day on Thursday as they traveled back across the country gave the team a much-needed reset, and they showed the ability to fight through adversity in their comeback win.
Part of the reason for winning was actually due to the team's bullpen as shocking as that is, and after Cade Cavalli turned in yet another gem of a start, the bullpen closed things out. It took 3 pitchers after Cavalli's outing finished to get the game completed, and surprisingly enough, one of them found out almost immediately after the game that he would be getting demoted.
Nationals demote Clayton Beeter to AAA after continued struggles
Well, in case you somehow aren't aware, the bullpen of the 2026 Washington Nationals has been awful. They have had moments and spurts of success and a few bright spots here and there, but for the most part, this team has been terrible when it comes to pitching in leverage situations. It was a huge point of emphasis for Paul Toboni and the new front office at the deadline, and will continue to be in the future as well.
After opening this season as the team's closer, righty reliever Clayton Beeter will now be heading down to AAA Rochester to work some things out. The 27-year-old has dealt with some inconsistencies throughout the season, and leads the team in both saves and blown saves. That is the case for a lot of teams with their closers, but for Beeter, it's a bit different.
The Nationals have optioned Clayton Beeter to Triple-A Rochester.
— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) September 12, 2026
He leads the team with 12 saves but has also blown 7 save chances as well, showing that the consistency might not be there for him to be a high-leverage guy late in games. He owns a 4.50 ERA but a subpar 1.40 WHIP, and has just 47 strikeouts compared to 31 walks in only 48.0 innings. Simply put, he has just not gotten it done enough this year, and will be demoted to work on some things.
We do not yet know what that entails, or even what the corresponding move will be by the Nationals as of the time of writing. What we do know is that Beeter has struggled mightily in September with a 17.18 ERA and has allowed 7 runs already. Those numbers are made even worse by the fact that he has only 2 strikeouts in 3.2 innings, as he is just not missing enough bats for right now.
Beeter certainly should not be written off entirely, but there is a decent chance that we have seen the last of him in the majors with the Nationals in 2026. Regardless, there is certainly some untapped potential with him that needs to be uncovered in the minors for the rest of this year.
What do you think of the Nationals' decision to demote Clayton Beeter to AAA Rochester? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.
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